diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
index f5d2309..4de31d7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -314,6 +314,36 @@ export function Sidebar({
     [getContactHeardTime]
   );
 
+  const getFavoriteItemName = useCallback(
+    (item: FavoriteItem) =>
+      item.type === 'channel'
+        ? item.channel.name
+        : getContactDisplayName(item.contact.name, item.contact.public_key, item.contact.last_advert),
+    []
+  );
+
+  const sortFavoriteItemsByOrder = useCallback(
+    (items: FavoriteItem[], order: SortOrder) =>
+      [...items].sort((a, b) => {
+        if (order === 'recent') {
+          const timeA =
+            a.type === 'channel'
+              ? getLastMessageTime('channel', a.channel.key)
+              : getContactRecentTime(a.contact);
+          const timeB =
+            b.type === 'channel'
+              ? getLastMessageTime('channel', b.channel.key)
+              : getContactRecentTime(b.contact);
+          if (timeA && timeB) return timeB - timeA;
+          if (timeA && !timeB) return -1;
+          if (!timeA && timeB) return 1;
+        }
+
+        return getFavoriteItemName(a).localeCompare(getFavoriteItemName(b));
+      }),
+    [getContactRecentTime, getFavoriteItemName, getLastMessageTime]
+  );
+
   // Split non-repeater contacts and repeater contacts into separate sorted lists
   const sortedNonRepeaterContacts = useMemo(
     () =>
@@ -461,27 +491,10 @@ export function Sidebar({
       const items: FavoriteItem[] = [
         ...favChannels.map((channel) => ({ type: 'channel' as const, channel })),
         ...favContacts.map((contact) => ({ type: 'contact' as const, contact })),
-      ].sort((a, b) => {
-        const timeA =
-          a.type === 'channel'
-            ? getLastMessageTime('channel', a.channel.key)
-            : getContactRecentTime(a.contact);
-        const timeB =
-          b.type === 'channel'
-            ? getLastMessageTime('channel', b.channel.key)
-            : getContactRecentTime(b.contact);
-        if (timeA && timeB) return timeB - timeA;
-        if (timeA && !timeB) return -1;
-        if (!timeA && timeB) return 1;
-        const nameA =
-          a.type === 'channel' ? a.channel.name : a.contact.name || a.contact.public_key;
-        const nameB =
-          b.type === 'channel' ? b.channel.name : b.contact.name || b.contact.public_key;
-        return nameA.localeCompare(nameB);
-      });
+      ];
 
       return {
-        favoriteItems: items,
+        favoriteItems: sortFavoriteItemsByOrder(items, sectionSortOrders.favorites),
         nonFavoriteChannels: nonFavChannels,
         nonFavoriteContacts: nonFavContacts,
         nonFavoriteRepeaters: nonFavRepeaters,
@@ -493,6 +506,8 @@ export function Sidebar({
       favorites,
       getContactRecentTime,
       getLastMessageTime,
+      sectionSortOrders.favorites,
+      sortFavoriteItemsByOrder,
     ]);
 
   const buildChannelRow = (channel: Channel, keyPrefix: string): ConversationRow => ({
@@ -841,7 +856,7 @@ export function Sidebar({
               'Favorites',
               favoritesCollapsed,
               () => setFavoritesCollapsed((prev) => !prev),
-              null,
+              'favorites',
               favoritesUnreadCount,
               favoritesHasMention
             )}
diff --git a/frontend/src/test/sidebar.test.tsx b/frontend/src/test/sidebar.test.tsx
index dde9e63..e889c6e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/test/sidebar.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/test/sidebar.test.tsx
@@ -336,16 +336,17 @@ describe('Sidebar section summaries', () => {
     expect(getRepeatersOrder()).toEqual(['Alpha Relay', 'Zulu Relay']);
 
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Sort Channels alphabetically' }));
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Sort Contacts alphabetically' }));
 
     expect(getChannelsOrder()).toEqual(['#alpha', '#zebra']);
-    expect(getContactsOrder()).toEqual(['Zed', 'Amy']);
+    expect(getContactsOrder()).toEqual(['Amy', 'Zed']);
     expect(getRepeatersOrder()).toEqual(['Alpha Relay', 'Zulu Relay']);
 
     unmount();
     render(<Sidebar {...props} />);
 
     expect(getChannelsOrder()).toEqual(['#alpha', '#zebra']);
-    expect(getContactsOrder()).toEqual(['Zed', 'Amy']);
+    expect(getContactsOrder()).toEqual(['Amy', 'Zed']);
     expect(getRepeatersOrder()).toEqual(['Alpha Relay', 'Zulu Relay']);
   });
 
@@ -466,4 +467,51 @@ describe('Sidebar section summaries', () => {
       name: 'Public',
     });
   });
+
+  it('sorts favorites independently and persists the favorites sort preference', () => {
+    const publicChannel = makeChannel(PUBLIC_CHANNEL_KEY, 'Public');
+    const zed = makeContact('11'.repeat(32), 'Zed', 1, { last_advert: 150 });
+    const amy = makeContact('22'.repeat(32), 'Amy');
+
+    const props = {
+      contacts: [zed, amy],
+      channels: [publicChannel],
+      activeConversation: null,
+      onSelectConversation: vi.fn(),
+      onNewMessage: vi.fn(),
+      lastMessageTimes: {
+        [getStateKey('contact', zed.public_key)]: 200,
+      },
+      unreadCounts: {},
+      mentions: {},
+      showCracker: false,
+      crackerRunning: false,
+      onToggleCracker: vi.fn(),
+      onMarkAllRead: vi.fn(),
+      favorites: [
+        { type: 'contact', id: zed.public_key },
+        { type: 'contact', id: amy.public_key },
+      ] satisfies Favorite[],
+      legacySortOrder: 'recent' as const,
+    };
+
+    const getFavoritesOrder = () =>
+      screen
+        .getAllByText(/^(Amy|Zed)$/)
+        .map((node) => node.textContent)
+        .filter((text): text is string => Boolean(text));
+
+    const { unmount } = render(<Sidebar {...props} />);
+
+    expect(getFavoritesOrder()).toEqual(['Zed', 'Amy']);
+
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Sort Favorites alphabetically' }));
+
+    expect(getFavoritesOrder()).toEqual(['Amy', 'Zed']);
+
+    unmount();
+    render(<Sidebar {...props} />);
+
+    expect(getFavoritesOrder()).toEqual(['Amy', 'Zed']);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/src/utils/conversationState.ts b/frontend/src/utils/conversationState.ts
index 6a42156..df6d8f0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/utils/conversationState.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/utils/conversationState.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ const SIDEBAR_SECTION_SORT_ORDERS_KEY = 'remoteterm-sidebar-section-sort-orders'
 
 export type ConversationTimes = Record<string, number>;
 export type SortOrder = 'recent' | 'alpha';
-export type SidebarSortableSection = 'channels' | 'contacts' | 'repeaters';
+export type SidebarSortableSection = 'favorites' | 'channels' | 'contacts' | 'repeaters';
 export type SidebarSectionSortOrders = Record<SidebarSortableSection, SortOrder>;
 
 // In-memory cache of last message times (loaded from server on init)
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ export function buildSidebarSectionSortOrders(
   defaultOrder: SortOrder = 'recent'
 ): SidebarSectionSortOrders {
   return {
+    favorites: defaultOrder,
     channels: defaultOrder,
     contacts: defaultOrder,
     repeaters: defaultOrder,
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ export function loadLocalStorageSidebarSectionSortOrders(): SidebarSectionSortOr
 
     const parsed = JSON.parse(stored) as Partial<SidebarSectionSortOrders>;
     return {
+      favorites: parsed.favorites === 'alpha' ? 'alpha' : 'recent',
       channels: parsed.channels === 'alpha' ? 'alpha' : 'recent',
       contacts: parsed.contacts === 'alpha' ? 'alpha' : 'recent',
       repeaters: parsed.repeaters === 'alpha' ? 'alpha' : 'recent',